Connected Christianity: Engaging Culture Without Compromise

by Arturo G. Azurdia III

Connected Christianity is a clarion call to Christians to robustly engage with the world we live in for the sake of the gospel. It calls us to be both Christian AND worldly, surely an unnerving tension when first considered but absolutely necessary if we are to truly reach the lost of this world we live in with the gospel they so desperately need to hear. The Great Commission is your commission. You need to feel the weightiness of it. You need to own responsibility for it. It is not the commission merely of your church’s pastor. The work of evangelism is not reserved to one man who stands in front of the people on the Lord’s Day, or occasionally goes out into the open air. This is the job and responsibility and privilege of every one who names the name of Jesus Christ. But how do we engage the world meaningfully without compromising the integrity of our Christianity? Is it possible for a follower of Jesus Christ to be both “worldly” and Christian? These are the questions this book seeks to answer.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Christian Living

96 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2009

About the author

Dr. Arturo Azurdia III is Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Director of Pastoral Mentoring at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon.

He is a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, having attended the California State University at Hayward where he received a B. A. in Music Performance. His M. Div. was earned from The American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkeley, California, and his D. Min. from Westminster Seminary in Escondido, California. He was the founding minister of Christ Community Church in Fairfield, California, where he subsequently pastored for 19 years.

Art is the author of Spirit Empowered Preaching (Christian Focus Publications) and a contributing author in two additional volumes: The Compromised Church (Crossway) and Reforming Pastoral Ministry (Crossway). He is a frequent speaker at various national and international conferences.

Reviews

[Lizette Vega · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. However, I feel that Pastor Azurdia did not connect the content with the title. The first chapter discusses his decision to have his children's schoolmates come to their home for pizza and talks. However, most Christian families home school their children or have them in public school. So the suggestion seems to fall flat.

In addition, the book as a hole feels like portions of sermons pasted together with the theme peppered in to bring relevance to the content.

Thus, the book needed a few more chapters and more discussion to the actual topic. So, how does a Christians participate in the secular world, not only to enjoy all that God has provided for us (music, art, theater, etc.), but also to give us opportunities to share the gospel?

I'm disappointed.

[Todd Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful series of sermons on living as a set-apart people who are actively egaged in the world. Listening to Art Azurdia deliver them would be better, but having the edited transcripts is good.

[Caleb Toth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short read, though I suspect the majority of the practical exploration of "Engaging Culture" will be found in A.G.A. III's book, "Spirit Empowered Mission: Aligning the Church's Mission with the Mission of Jesus", while this volume nods this direction in the first chapter, the majority of the book deals with what the mission is and how Jesus works to sanctify us (the without compromise bit in the title).

[Josue&Beka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impressive

Worldly Christianity is such a forgotten concept. The author with a beautiful writing style and with a passion to be missional and yet theological, exposes from the Bible our mission in this world. Superb!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

An excellent series of sermons from John 17 on becoming a "worldly Christian".